


A Real Family (Not a Half-Family)

by twilightstarr



Series: Golden Walls [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Backstory, Brief one sided sibling flirting that goes nowhere, Child Abuse, Coercion, Concubine wars, Corruption, Faked Death, Gen, Gender-Neutral My Unit | Kamui | Corrin, Grief, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, Nonbinary Corrin, Panic Attacks, Pre-Fire Emblem Fates, Prequel, Self-Harm, Sibling Bonding, Sibling bickering, Threatened Torture, Vigilantism, implied depression, mild violence, slight canon divergence?, threatened suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2018-12-15 09:50:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11803572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twilightstarr/pseuds/twilightstarr
Summary: After being torn apart by years of rivalry between the concubines, King Garon's surviving children begin rebuilding their family.





	1. Escape

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. I got some of my inspiration from Camilla in The Concubine Wars by Kagerochii, which can be found here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=651Fo_jMRhY I highly recommend it. My story can either stand on its own or be read as a sequel to it. 
> 
> 2\. "slight canon divergence?" because the ages are probably a bit off, although canon is kind of vague. I figured, even being a genius, that 12 is the youngest Leo can be here, and I'm putting Xander at 16, Cassius at 15, Camilla at 14. Corrin could be 12 or 13, and Elise 9 or 10. 
> 
> 3\. If you read Give Me a Chance to Like You, here I will elaborate upon Leo's previous fake kills, the memories he was probably reliving the night he went to Niles, and the stuff Xander didn't tell Niles about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What battle? The war isn't in full swing yet. I don't know. Blame Xander's supports for the vagueness. It's probably a rebellion or something. Nohr seems to get that problem a lot.

Normally, none of King Garon’s mistresses would be so bold as to target Prince Xander, but recent developments presented an opportunity. Both of his retainers had fallen while defending him in a battle, leaving him more vulnerable than before, as did his evident grief over the incident. He and his steed went on long rides whenever the prince had the chance, no doubt yearning to be free of the castle, free of the life he’d been born into. 

Leo felt the same way. He wished he could escape instead of doing what he had to do at his mother’s command, but this evening would be the perfect chance to get it over with. It was cloudy and a bit foggy, and perhaps that would have deterred Xander from one of his rides to the outskirts of the castle grounds if it were not fairly typical weather for this season in Nohr. Camilla was also out with her wyvern, which meant there would be at least one other potential suspect. Not that Leo wanted to frame her--he was hoping there would be enough uncertainty for both of them to survive the event. 

That’s all Leo wanted really--to survive this hell. He didn’t want to steal the future throne from his half-brother, but his mother had never asked what he wanted. She claimed he showed so much potential, that he deserved it, that she wanted it for him because she loved him, but not once had she asked him if he wanted it. She wanted it, and she was certain that, if Xander were gone, the king would choose Leo to take his place in line. 

Even if any guards did see him on the way to the stables in the dim lit fog, it was not an unusual or alarming sight. Leo had decided quite early that he wanted to become a dark knight, and, as ambitious as he was, had already practiced casting spells atop a horse. Xander had even helped him learn some basic mounted combat technique before Queen Arete had died. 

It took some searching, but Leo found him. 

It was unavoidable that Xander would hear another set of hooves and turn to look, but by the time he did, Leo already held an open tome in one hand and flames at the ready in another, the glow obscured in the mist, but noticeable up close. 

“Leo.”

“Don’t move, don’t yell, or you die,” Leo threatened. 

Xander’s hand instinctively went to the hilt of his blade. 

“I said don’t move!” 

Xander put his hands back on the reigns. “Perhaps it was foolish of me to think this wouldn’t happen.” 

The way his voice shook sent a wave of guilt through Leo’s heart. 

“Leo, please, don’t make me fight my brother. We’re better than this.” 

“You’re right. We are. Give me your cape.” 

“What?”

“Well, since I won’t have a corpse to present, I’ll have to make do with the prince’s cape I discovered lying on the ground with a stab through it,” Leo explained. 

Xander understood, relief washing over his face. “You don’t think anyone will suspect you?” 

“Plenty of people who know what’s really going on will suspect me no matter what I do, but they’ll suspect Camilla too, or it could have been an outside assassin. As long as no one can prove it any way, we should both be fine… in theory.” 

“I hope you’re right.” Xander dismounted, unclasped his cape, and laid it down. Then he drew his sword and tore. 

Leo descended as well, closing his book and letting the fire dispel, and Xander handed him the tarnished article. “I can give you until dark to run, and then I will head back and claim to have found this. You had better be long gone, or next time I will not hold back.” 

“You can stop bluffing now, Leo.”

He was bluffing, of course. There was nothing Leo could really do to stop him from running to the guards and telling them that his half-brother had threatened him, or if Xander were to strike right now, he would win. Even when Leo had had the advantage, Xander would have stood a good chance if he'd wanted to fight. 

“I want to save you as much as you want to save me. I will disappear, for now. Just promise me two things.” 

“What?” 

“Look after Elise for me.” 

Xander had taken the young and blissfully ignorant girl under his wing after her mother had died of sickness. It was a reasonable request. Leo didn’t want to see anything happen to her either. “I’ll do my best.”

“And don’t let this court steal your soul.” 

“I’ll do my best,” Leo repeated, not without a cringe. 

“Thank you.” Xander remounted, but said before going, “You have a good mind and a good heart, Leo. I want you to know I’m proud to call you my brother.” 

“Half-brother,” Leo corrected. 

“It makes no difference to me.” 

For a moment, they held a gaze, Leo silently understanding and agreeing, and then Xander was gone.


	2. Kill or Be Killed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little Xander isn't cynical yet.

Xander’s plan was to take the quickest route out of the capital and then find a small village if he could, the kind of place where people would be least likely to recognize him, and where they might be kind enough to give a traveler a place to stay for a night or two. 

He didn’t get that far before a band of thieves surrounded him, demanding his gold. They had not picked a good target. 

They were children, none older than Xander was himself, so he went easy on them, disarming one and knocking out another. 

He blocked a dagger slashing toward him and was about to execute another disarm, but then…

“Xander?” the girl gasped. 

Just Xander, not Prince Xander--that got his attention. Now that he was looking, the face was familiar. 

“Cassius,” he realized. Though she had the darkest hair of anyone in the family, she had the same burnt umber eyes Leo had inherited from their shared father. 

“Hold it,” Cassius ordered the others. 

The other kids who were still in a state to fight stopped where they were, but still held their weapons ready. 

“The name’s Bane now,” she told Xander.

“How are you alive?”

“After narrowly avoiding an assassination attempt, I came up with a plan to fake my death and got Leo to help me out.” 

“So that’s where he got the idea. Leo offered to fake my death instead of trying to kill me at his mother’s command.”

“Really? I never thought the concubines would dare touch you.” 

“Unusual circumstances had me temporarily susceptible,” Xander explained ambiguously. 

“Well, that explains what you’re doing out here by yourself.”

“Bane, what’s going on? You two know each other?” one of the thieves asked. 

“We used to know each other. He’s my half-brother. Don’t get any ideas now; I’m not worth anything anymore. Xander, on the other hand--” 

“I think I have proven that it is unwise for you to fight me,” Xander pointed out. 

“That’s not exactly what I had in mind. Say you let us ‘kidnap’ you for ransom. We get money, and you get returned to your life of luxury with a perfect explanation of why you disappeared.”

“But then Leo’s mother would know he defied her instructions, or assume he failed. Either way, it would not be pleasant for him.” 

Bane shrugged. “What’s that to you?” 

Xander was astounded. “That’s not a way to repay his mercy!” 

“Leo’s a fool, frankly, and that’s not my fault.” 

“How can you be so…?” he was at a loss for a word. This wasn’t the Cassius he remembered. 

“Because I had to be to survive as more or less an orphan. On these streets at night, it’s kill or be killed, not much different from the court, really, except you don’t have shelter from the cold, or the rain, or the sickness, or--”

“I get the picture.” 

“Oh no, Goldilocks, you’ve only begun to see the picture.” 

Xander scowled at the nickname, but considered her point. “Maybe you’re right. I know I don’t know as much as I believe I should about life outside of nobility. Perhaps I could learn a lot from you if would allow me to blend in with your group for a short time, until they stop looking for me.” 

Bane actually laughed. “And what the hell would I get out of that? Somehow, I can’t picture you being a helpful member of the team.” 

“You’re right, I have no desire to rob or otherwise harm anyone, but you would be offering me a learning experience that I will one day use to make Nohr a better place for everyone, including you. That is a promise.” 

“Dear Gods, I think you actually mean every word you’re saying!” 

“It should not be surprising that the welfare of the kingdom is very important to me,” Xander glared. 

“You’re right, it shouldn’t be, but it is. So then, how do you plan on putting food in your mouth if you’re not gonna steal it?” 

“I should have enough gold on me to last a while if I’m careful. I won’t get in your way.” 

“You can’t actually be considering this,” said one of the thieves. 

“Why not? As Xander pointed out, we probably can’t beat him, so ransom is out of the question. We might as well go along with his idea. It’ll be amusing to see how long he lasts before he runs back home, and I think he might even keep his word, if he doesn’t get himself killed,” Bane reasoned. 

“I will not back down, I will keep my word, and I will not die,” Xander insisted. 

“How do you know he isn’t gonna have us thrown in prison as soon as he goes back to the castle?” the thief persisted. 

“Because he’s probably so damn honorable he actually cares that we’re related.” 

The other thief lunged. 

“Cassius!” Xander yelled. 

It wasn’t necessary. She was ready to block the attack and stab her follower through the heart like it was nothing. “Any more objections?” Bane asked. 

Silence. 

She smirked at Xander’s wide eyes. “Like I said, not much different from the court. Are you having second thoughts, Xander?” 

Xander shook off his shock. He’d seen people die before. Now matter how difficult it might be, or how annoying Cassius--or Bane--might be, he felt obligated to see the worst part of the country now that he knew it was there. “No,” he answered. 

“Well then, you’ve got yourself a deal. Just don’t expect any royal treatment--or brother treatment.” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Xander retorted.


	3. Alliance

The kingdom as a whole was reluctant to accept the death of Prince Xander. After all, a body hadn't yet been found, leaving room for the hope that he could just be missing. Search parties were headed to even the most unlikely Nohrian territories on that hope. 

Or, if you were Leo’s mother, it was a concern rather than a hope. He was prepared to assure her when she asked that he was certain the prince was dead, and that they wouldn't find a body because it had been reduced to ashes. He tuned out her small ingenuine speech about how brilliant her son was in order to not let disgust show. 

Even though Elise was hopeful that Xander would be alright somehow, she still missed her ‘big brother’ and was visibly saddened over recent events. Leo tried to make good on his promise, but Camilla seemed to be better at filling Xander’s place than he was. He couldn't cuddle the way she could, or indulge Elise’s imaginary games, or craft simple yet perfect little gifts that made her squeal. The two remaining girls quickly became close, and Leo couldn't keep up. It was almost suspicious how effectively Camilla was comforting her after Xander’s disappearance. Leo was certain that at least one child’s death in the past had been by her hands. 

 

“Hey, Leo!” said Elise, shattering the silence of the library. 

“Yes?” he asked, looking up from a book.

“I’m going outside with Camilla. Do you wanna come?” 

Leo glanced out the window--no, the weather hadn’t changed since he’d last looked. “There’s fog.” 

“Fog isn’t so bad. It’s like walking through a cloud--” her eyes brightened with an idea, “or flying! We could pretend to be pegasuses!” 

“Pegasi,” Leo corrected. 

“Come on, Leo, it’ll be fun.” 

“No thank you.” 

“OK,” she sighed, “me and Camilla will have fun without you.” 

“Camilla and I,” Leo corrected. 

She indignantly stuck her tongue out at him before skipping off. 

Leo tried to return his focus to the page, but something about the conversation was bothering him. After a minute, he realized Camilla and Elise would be alone in the fog. If Camilla was going to hurt her, this could be a window of opportunity. 

With a resigned thud, Leo shut his book and went to spy on his half-sisters. 

 

Nothing had happened aside from Elise incurring a scraped knee from a clumsy jump. Watching them prance and sing and laugh had been somehow endearing and irritating at the same time. 

There was a knock on Leo’s door, not his mother’s knock or Elise’s. He checked that a tome was right beside him, which of course it was. “Yes?”

Camilla entered. 

Leo unashamedly opened that tome. 

“Relax Leo, I’m unarmed,” she said. 

“I’m sure you could hide a weapon if you wanted to.” 

“If you’re really so worried about what I might be hiding, feel free to search me,” she offered with a tone that made her implication clear. 

“Don’t make this weird; we’re related,” said Leo a bit too quickly. 

“I’m afraid you made it weird first, darling. I saw you stalking me earlier today. How about you tell me why you’re so interested in me and Elise, hm?” she leaned in close across his desk in a provocative way, and Leo realized she was deliberately trying to make him uncomfortable to gain an upper hand. 

“You’ve become very close to Elise in a remarkably short amount of time,” Leo replied, ignoring her flirtatious manner. 

“Of course I have, She’s such a precious little thing, and she needed someone to cheer her up. Why are you trying to get close to her?” 

“Similar reasons.”

“I don’t believe you. You always have a practical reason for doing something.” 

“Fine, I have an ethical reason that I am not inclined to share with you.”

“Ethics?” she actually laughed. “You can’t tell a little girl that you know her brother will be alright when you killed him yourself and then claim to have ethics!” 

“And what if your mother ordered you to kill Elise? You would do it, wouldn’t you?” Leo asked. 

“She wouldn’t. Elise is small and innocent, and she wouldn’t hurt a fly. She isn’t a threat.” 

“Oh, but she is. She’s cute and likeable. She could be a popular princess.” 

Camilla withdrew from her pose. Now she was the awkward one. 

Leo pressed his advantage. “Answer my question. What would you do?” 

“I… I don’t know, alright? I couldn’t bear to disappoint my mother, but I couldn’t bear to hurt Elise either. I just couldn’t bring myself to do that again--I mean, I--” she stammered, realizing what she’d given away. 

“I already knew,” Leo interrupted. 

“I suppose I would have to kill myself instead,” Camilla decided, on the verge of crying. 

“You can’t think of any other alternatives?” 

She only blinked at him. 

“Camilla, I believe you are being honest, so I am going to be honest with you. Xander truly is alive. I made a deal with him to fake his death for the time being, and he asked me to look after Elise before he left,” Leo divulged. 

“You really are a little genius,” Camilla beamed. “It looks like I misjudged you. I’m sorry about that.” 

“It’s understandable in these circumstances,” said Leo, flustered again for completely different reasons. “Camilla, I have a proposition: we make an alliance to protect Elise. If your mother tries to target her, tell me, and I will do everything I can to find a way around it. If I could plan on having your assistance, it may be very useful.” 

She hesitated. “I don’t know. I don’t want to betray mother.” 

“Is she worth your loyalty?” 

“I want her to be happy.” 

“That’s not what I asked.” 

“I want to be a good daughter.” She looked so young all of the sudden, like a little girl who only wanted to be loved. 

“It’s not that you’re a bad daughter, Camilla. Have you ever considered the possibility that she is a bad mother?” 

She was silent for about a full minute. Leo let her think about it.

“How do you know it’s her and not me?” she asked at last. 

“I see no reason you don’t deserve to be loved.” 

“Does that mean you love me?” 

“Yes, I suppose that’s what I’m saying.” 

Next thing Leo knew, Camilla was on his bench beside him, hugging him. “Aww, I love you too, Leo. Oh, are you alright, sweetie?” she asked, noticing she’d startled him. 

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m just... not accustomed to gestures of affection."

She loosened her hold a little. “Better?” 

“Yes,” Leo answered, returning the embrace. “So, does this mean we’re allies?” 

“Yes,” Camilla agreed. 

“Good. It’s nice to know I can trust my sister. This is how it should be.” 

“I’m really only your half-sister,” she pointed out. 

“It makes no difference to me.” 

She stayed beside him for a while, and Leo didn’t protest.


	4. Bane

While in disguise, Xander needed an alias. If he’d had it his way, they would have just come up with something generic, but the thieves started calling him “Goldie” after Bane’s “Goldilocks” remark. Despite his protests, or maybe even because of them, the nickname stuck, and he eventually surrendered. 

Xander didn't even try to get along with Bane or the others, who did nothing while he rushed to rescue a child from captors. He didn't need their help to send the villains running, but still, he’d never known Cassius to be so apathetic. 

Xander would have personally escorted the boy home, as soon as he found out where that was, if not for a comment that he looked familiar. Afraid of being recognized, he instead directed the child to the nearest city guard. 

The others had gone on without him, but Xander was able to catch up. “How could you just do nothing?” he demanded of his half-sister.

“It happens all the time, Goldie.” 

“What does that have to do with it? If anything, that’s all the more reason something should be done.” 

“If you want to risk your own neck, go ahead.” 

And yet, Bane later proved that she hadn’t become completely unreasonable.

It happened the first time Xander managed to fall into a much needed deep sleep despite the lack of warmth and comfort he was used to, only to be pickpocketed in the middle of the night. Bane found the culprit and returned his gold, but promised that Xander was on his own from now on. 

Maybe it was worth trying to get through to her.

 

The next day, Xander was lured into a trap by a little boy who said he needed help finding his mommy, escaping only because the group of thieves had underestimated their target. Maybe that explained Bane’s lack of reaction to things. If even children could be deceptive, it made sense that one could become suspicious and desensitized to their cries and pleas. He resolved not to let that happen to himself. 

 

Despite the eyerolls he received from the thieves, Xander insisted on maintaining his training habits as well as he could under the circumstances. He’d had to trade his horse away, as there wasn't space or food for her, and she made him more noticeable, but he diligently practiced swordplay drills on his own, or sparred with a partner when he could persuade one. 

Actually, it was at least as much instructing as it was sparring, because he simply couldn’t condone the atrociously undisciplined style all of the orphans had--which scared most of them away from him before long. 

Bane was somewhat better than the others, having had formal training in the past, but her form had still gotten disappointingly sloppy. 

“Why do you care?” she asked when Xander pointed this out and tried to correct her. 

“Because I know you can do better, and it’s also just annoying.” 

“You know this is only going to help me break laws, right?” 

“Or maybe you’ll find something better to do with it.” 

“I doubt it,” she said, but she didn't run away, at least not yet. 

 

During a break after a match with Bane, Xander tried to start a conversation. “May I ask you something?” 

“What?” she replied, not inviting in tone, but not hostile either. 

“Why did you change your name?” 

“Well, everything about my life changed that day. It was like a different life altogether, and I didn’t feel like the same person anymore. You seemed to notice that I’d changed,” answered Bane with apparent nonchalance. 

“Yes, I did. It was a bit shocking, but I think I’m beginning to understand, given the things I’ve seen recently. Still, I do miss Cassius. It’s strange to recall that you used to always beat me, but you encouraged me to keep trying and grow stronger, and for that I’m grateful.”

“That sure backfired on me.” 

Xander felt like he was being disregarded, but controlled his frustration and tried another angle. “And I wasn’t the only one who learned from you. I remember when you taught Leo how to play chess.” 

That actually got a chuckle out of her. “And then he wouldn’t give up until he defeated me.” 

“And then he didn’t give up until he defeated me, too.” 

“Yeah, I know. He tested his strategies for you on me.” 

“Oh, I didn't know that.”

“He didn't want you to.” 

“And here I was fooled that it only took him three attempts.” 

Just for a second, they were smiling. 

“I see what you’re doing here,” Bane suddenly accused.

“And what is that?” Xander asked.

“You’re trying to lure me into a brotherly conversation.”

“You make it sound so devious. What harm is there in a chat about pleasant memories?” 

“I don’t like to dwell on the past. It doesn’t change the present.” 

“But don’t you ever miss the past--before the second queen died?” 

“No. Are we gonna go another round, or am I done here?” 

“I suppose you’re done here.” Xander tried not to be too irritated. He’d seen a glimpse of Cassius there for just a moment--he was certain of it. 

Bane avoided him as much as possible for a week after that. 

 

It took Xander way too long to figure out what a girl in the group who looked about fourteen was trying to sell him. She had to spell it out, at which point Xander gave her a coin just so she’d go away, leaving him with a lingering nausea. She wasn’t the last offer he would receive. 

Even as a passive member of the gang, Xander found himself picking up skills he never would have expected to, like constantly guarding his pickets, avoiding city guards, navigating the tunnels, and detecting knives in sleeves. It was even more than he'd been prepared to learn, but he still didn't regret the decision. 

 

Then, one evening, while the others were chatting about something else, Bane approached Xander and asked, “So, who’s left besides you and Leo?” 

“Camilla and Elise.” 

Was that a breath of relief? That would mean there had been no more casualties since Cassius’ disappearance, Xander realized. “How are they?” 

“Well… I worry about Camilla. Something about her has changed. She withdrew--not in a blatant way, but with fake smiles and waves.” 

“Because it’s dangerous to be attached to anyone.” 

“Probably,” Xander agreed sadly. “Elise on the other hand, is still unaware of what’s going on, and I hope it can stay that way. I have a good relationship with her.” 

“At least you're all alive.” 

“Why the sudden interest?” Xander asked. “I thought you didn't care about these things.” 

“I tried not to care, but, well, I failed,” she admitted. 

“Why did you try to do that?” Xander wasn't prepared for the eruption he received in response. She kept the volume down so as not to catch the attention of her followers, but restrained none of the emotional intensity.

“Because it hurts! Because if I let myself care, I will miss what it was like before Arete died, and I'll worry about all of you getting killed, which is pointless, because I can't do anything about it, and I’ll wish that I could be your sister again, which is never going to happen, and I don't know how to go on if I have to deal with feeling all that!”

A moment passed while Bane recovered from the release and Xander from the surprise. 

“What do you mean you'll never be my sister again?” The other points made sense, but that one had him baffled. “When do you think we stopped being siblings?”

“You seem to be disgusted with everything about me now.” 

He cringed. “I wouldn't say disgusted--more like shocked. I never stopped caring about you.” 

Bane hesitated for a second, then asked, “You remember Blythe?” 

“Of course.” Xander was already anticipating where this was going. When his brother didn't continue, he prompted, “You killed him?” 

“Not exactly, but I knew. I could have tried to do something, but I didn't. I was too scared. Can you forgive me for that? Do you think Camilla and Leo and Elise could?” 

While it was still painful to hear it confirmed, Xander had been prepared for this and already knew his answer. “I've already accepted that, while I may never know for certain, Camilla and Leo could very well have blood on their hands, but they're only children caught in the middle of a conflict that isn't their fault, and I love them, so I've forgiven them for that possibility. The same applies to you. I have no doubt that the rest of my siblings would also accept you back into their lives if you ever wanted to return.” 

He could see her shoulders lighten at the release of one emotional burden. “I planned on returning one day originally, but then I started to wonder… if I really belonged anymore. Maybe when you go back, I could come with you?” 

“I was hoping you would,” Xander agreed. 

 

They trained together again, which Xander was grateful for. It gave him something to think about other than the starving orphans that he felt partial guilt for even though the state of Windmire wasn’t his fault. Trying to break the unsophisticated habits his sister had acquired was relaxing in comparison. 

“Come on Goldie, it’s pointless. This is just how I fight now. I don’t think we can change it,” Bane said eventually. 

Then Xander had an idea. “Do you remember how to use a sword?”

“I think so.”

“Take this.” He gave her his. 

“OK, now what?” she asked. 

“Your usual warm up.”

Bane faced an imaginary target and ran through the attack angles, then the block angles, followed by a combination of slashes and parries. Then she looked back at Xander to see him smiling in pride. 

“Perfect form.” 

She couldn’t help but mirror his expression.

The next time they were underground, Xander got a lance with the head broken off from a weapons merchant for almost nothing. It was safer to practice with, and while Bane held it, she fought like a knight again, even adopting the posture she used to under the weight of armor. Xander was optimistic that she would be able to catch up with her siblings.


	5. Jittering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra warning: this is where the anxiety and child abuse gets heavy.

“Hey, Leo?” Elise asked, interrupting him more gently this time as he scanned a shelf in the library. 

“Yes Elise?” 

“I think I thought of something for us to do together.” 

“What’s that?”

“Will you read to me, please?” she held up a book she’d chosen with shining, pleading eyes. 

It was a novel about some fairy princess. Of course it was. Still, this would be easier than playing house or pegasuses. “Alright,” he agreed. 

They got comfortable, and Leo began. 

It actually wasn’t a badly written story. It was even tolerable enough that he read until his voice started cracking--just because of how engrossed Elise was. 

Later, he read another chapter of Lily of The Enchanted Valley to her at bedtime while Camilla gave her goodnight snuggles, and it became a family ritual. They were family again, and not a half one, a real one. 

 

“You wanted to see me, mother?” said Leo as he closed the door behind him, hoping his voice sounded steady enough and that his legs didn't look as wobbly as they felt. 

“Yes, darling. It's been awhile since we've had a little time to chat, hasn't it?” she replied, with one of her perfect motherly smiles, inviting him to sit beside her in the seats by the windowsill. 

The curtains hung closed, even though the room could use the small amount of light the cloudy day had to offer, and her staff leaned on the wall not far from them. 

Leo had glanced up at this window before from outside, and the curtains weren't always like that--only when he was here, or his father. 

“What should we chat about?” Leo asked as he complied. She never really wanted to chat for no reason--might as well get to the point instead of playing guessing games. 

“Well, has anything interesting happened that you'd like to talk about?” 

What was she expecting from him? She couldn't possibly have found out about Xander, could she? What else could it be? Leo’s leg wanted to 'jitter’ as his mother called it, and he had to make a concentrated effort to hold it still. It was impossible for her to have found out, he tried to assure himself. No one else in the kingdom knew about Xander… except Camilla. He'd told Camilla. Had that been a mistake? Would she betray him? No, she wouldn't. It had to be something else. Just say something, he yelled to himself. “Um… not really. I've been studying like usual, and practicing riding.” 

“Really? It looks to me like you've been spending more time than usual with Camilla lately,” his mother said. 

“Well, yes, but my training still comes first, of course.” 

“I'm glad you're staying on top of that. I'm just worried about you getting too close to that girl. She and her mother are not to be trusted. I don't need to remind you about the poor girl that I was unable to save from them. She might be trying to lead you into a trap. If something happened to my precious little Leo, why, I'd be heartbroken.”

Who was she trying to fool? Herself? Tears threatened to stream down Leo’s face at the thought of being alone while Camilla read to Elise instead of him. 

“You're jittering, darling. Is everything alright?” 

“Yes, I'm just thinking about what you're saying. You're right. I should be more careful,” he lied. 

“Well, there's no need to look that scared. I know you can look out for yourself. Unless there's something else on your mind?” 

“No, I'm fine. Perhaps I should return to my history work?” 

“Yes, of course. I wouldn't want to get in the way of that. I'm happy we got to talk a little.” 

 

_He'd asked her for a game--one last game. Tomorrow, they would execute their plan, and Leo didn't know when he would see Cassius again._

_She made exactly the move he'd expected, and without a moment of hesitation, Leo seized victory. “Checkmate.”_

_“You've gotten good at this.” Cassius smiled in pride at him._

_“You helped me,” Leo replied._

_“I only taught you the basics. You did the rest yourself.”_

_“Cassius…” he started, fidgeting with a pawn, only to change his mind. He couldn't tell her._

_“You're still nervous,” she observed. “Are you sure I'm not asking too much of you?”_

_“No, you're not!” he insisted. “I don’t want you to be killed. I can't let that happen.”_

_“Thank you, Leo. I'm sorry this is something you have to worry about at your age.”_

_Leo’s stomach knotted in guilt at the gratitude and sympathy he didn't deserve._

_Cassius tidied up the pieces, eventually holding out a hand for the last one, which Leo was still fiddling with. He didn't notice until she said, “Hey.”_

_Broken out of his trance, he awkwardly gave her the figure. She rubbed the sweat off on her sleeve before putting it away._

_“I'm going to see you again one day, right?” Leo asked._

_Cassius took a deep breath. “Leo, I'm not going to make you any unrealistic promises. I don't think you'd want that.”_

_He nodded._

_“I don't know what's going to happen. I don't even really know where I’m going, honestly, but I will do the best I can to come back to you one day. That is what I can promise you.”_

_“OK.” It was a bit disheartening, but Leo appreciated the way she always took him seriously, even though he was younger, and even though he jittered._

_“Goodnight, Leo.” She offered a hug, knowing not to touch Leo without warning when he was like this._

_“Goodnight.” He couldn't refuse, even though it would hurt the bruised ribs no one knew about, and braced himself before falling into his sister’s arms. It was worth it, but he failed to conceal the pain from her._

_“Are you alright?”_

_Once more, he considered telling her the truth. It was his last chance to confess, but the thought of it made him feel wobbly. “Yes. I just took a hit during training.”_

_Leo got the feeling, from the way Cassius looked at him, that she didn’t believe him, but, to his relief, she didn't press the matter. “I love you,” she said, unable to hold back the pain in her voice._

_For the first time, Leo heard those words and completely believed them. “I love you too,” he replied in a similar tone._

Leo awoke feeling even lonelier than when he'd fallen asleep. His only company was the unvoiced regret that still haunted him every now and then. It was Leo who had cast the bolt that had almost killed his sister--that would have, if he hadn't flinched and tilted his hand at the last second. 

His ribs had been worse than a little bruised for missing the shot, but they'd been healed by the same weapon that had made the impact. Knowing that his mother and her staff were just across the hall did nothing to comfort him back to sleep. 

He hadn't allowed anyone hug him after that last night with Cassius--not until he'd let Camilla, because she'd said she loved him, and he'd believed her.

Now his mother was taking her away from him too.


	6. Rain

At this point, Xander thought he was doing fairly well at adapting to this environment. He was about to be proven wrong.

It happened one evening on the way back to Bane’s current hideout after legally acquiring his own supper. He heard a cry of pain, and, around a corner, discovered a sick and pregnant girl collapsed in labor. Without a second thought, he carried her to the nearest doctor, who was kind enough to take her in for what remained of Xander’s pocket change. 

It was all for nothing. After hours of care and prayers, both the mother and the baby died. 

Xander felt broken. Physically and emotionally drained around midnight, it took all his will to keep his feet moving back to the closest thing to home he had right now. 

He was found by his sister, who had been more worried than she admitted. He vaguely remembered explaining the story to her and being called an idiot. 

The ghost of the girl’s pained face haunted his dreams. 

All too soon, Bane was shaking Xander awake and dragging him along with the gang. It could be dangerous to stay alone in one place too long, so he always followed and hid somewhere nearby. She offered to teach him how to steal. He declined. He could hardly fight despair, let alone his conscience. 

 

Bane and a boy--Cerin, Xander thought his name was--were arguing about something as they regrouped. Had he been in a better state of body and mind, Xander would have been alert and prepared, and it wouldn't have been so easy for Cerin to suddenly pin him between a wall and a knife. 

“What are you doing?!” he gasped. 

“Trying to convince your half-sister to hand over what’s rightfully mine.” 

“The genuinely good-intentioned future king of Nohr over three damn silvers?” Bane asked, trying to sound logical instead of terrified. 

“If you don’t give them to me.” 

Xander knew he was stronger and more skilled than Cerin. He could get him off, but could he do it faster than his assailant could sever his throat?

Before he could make a decision, Bane conceded and held out the coins, far enough away that Cerin had to separate from Xander to accept them. 

Something seemed to have been silently determined, because Cerin and the others headed in one direction while Bane pulled Xander in another. 

“Where are we going?” he asked. 

“Away. I showed a weak point, and now they'll never stop taking advantage of it if we stay. That's what happens when you care about something.” 

“I'm sorry for making you care.”

She laughed hollowly.

“I mean it. I told you I understood why you'd changed. I was mistaken, but I think maybe now I really do. You go with them. I'll leave by myself,” Xander offered. 

“I can't let you do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because you don't have a clue what you're doing.” 

“I promised you I wouldn't be a burden.”

“Yeah, and I swore I wouldn't act like a sister. Look how that went.” 

“You're certain about this? I don't want to drag you further down than I already have.” 

Bane looked around, then said, quietly, “Xander.” It was the first time he’d been addressed by his real name since the night he’d ran away. “You haven’t dragged me down. It’s been so long since I’ve truly enjoyed being in someone’s company, and since I’ve had any reason to hope. Yeah, you made me feel, but it’s not all bad like I feared it would be. I decided I would rather be with you than with them, even if you’re an idiot.” 

“Thank you, I suppose.” Though it didn’t entirely dispel his grief, Xander felt a little warmth inside. He knew by now not to take Bane’s insults too seriously. She used them the same way Leo did--to keep herself from looking as vulnerable as she felt. 

And then it started to rain. 

“Naturally,” Bane sighed. 

They rushed for the nearest entrance to the tunnels. Only when their heads were covered did they pause for breath, half soaked. 

Xander coughed. 

“You better not be getting what that girl had.” 

“I think I might be.” 

“Figures. Here, I saved this for you,” Bane said, handing Xander a slightly damp half of a loaf of bread. When he hesitated, she added, “I didn’t hurt anyone, and the baker probably hasn’t even missed it.” 

“Still, I can’t help but feel a bit wrong about it.” 

“You’ll get used to it.” 

“I’m not sure if I want to.” 

“I hate to break it to you, but you’re gonna have to. Come on, If anyone deserves a little free food, it’s you.” 

Xander suddenly felt like crying. “Cassius,” it slipped out, “I must confess something. My motives have not been entirely selfless.” 

“What are you talking about? You ended up here with me because you were trying to help Leo, and then you rescued a few kids and tried to save a dying pregnant girl. What about any of that could possibly be selfish?” 

“I’m a coward.” 

“What?” 

He was just confusing her. Where to begin explaining? “It’s been a relief in a way, being away from… expectations. Part of me has been wanting to run away since the battle--the one in which I lost my retainers. They died protecting me--because I wasn’t strong enough. If I went back, it’s possible I could explain what happened to my father and convince him to have Leo’s mother removed in some way, but I… I’m still afraid of him, and I’m afraid of failing again and letting my brother down. If something happened to him because of me, I couldn’t forgive myself.” A sob escaped him. “I ran away too,” he concluded. 

“Uh… I’ve never been good at dealing with this sort of thing,” said Bane, concerned but awkward. 

Camilla was the only one of them who was good at dealing this sort of thing. Xander missed her, and Corrin, Leo, and Elise. He tried to pull himself together, but it was futile. Now that he'd cracked, he couldn't stop the tears from leaking through. “I'm too weak for Nohr!” he yelled in anger at himself. 

“Hey…” Bane gingerly put an arm around him. “You’re not weak; you just set humanly impossible expectations for yourself. No one in their right mind wouldn't be scared of your father. Come on, we should get moving. We won't be the only ones trying to escape the rain.” 

The unlit stretches of tunnels could be perilous areas to run into a stranger. The dark fueled paranoia, leading to preemptive attacks. Xander let her take his hand and lead them onward while his tears kept falling. 

“Oh, and you're not getting out of taking this,” she remembered, thrusting the bread at him. 

He surrendered and accepted it. 

By the time they reached the underground city a few minutes later, Xander was mostly recomposed, but he felt a little shaky in a way that wasn’t from crying. He was cold. Maybe it was just his damp clothing. He coughed again. 

Bane put a hand on his forehead. “Damnit,” was all the confirmation he needed of what they'd feared.


	7. Hugs

With Xander still missing, King Garon decided to indefinitely give the responsibility of training with Corrin to Camilla and Leo. The two set off for the Northern Fortress, and Camilla had evidently been granted permission to take Elise along as well.

It was a bit awkward for Leo, traveling with his sisters after having reluctantly avoided them for the past several days, especially with Elise asking him a multitude of questions about what he'd been so busy doing. Thankfully, Camilla was able to distract her when Leo started stammering, but he still had little bruises dotting his wrist by the time they arrived--the result of his habit of putting his hands behind his back and pinching when he had nothing else he could fidget with. He wouldn't be caught dead biting his nails. 

Corrin, excited to have company, greeted them almost immediately. 

Elise, just as overjoyed to see her adopted sibling, tackled them with a glomp. “Corrin!”

“Elise!” Their smile fell as they looked toward Camilla and Leo. “Where's Xander?” they asked. 

“He's missing,” replied Elise. 

“Did no one tell you?” Leo asked. 

“No. I didn't know why he hasn't come in a while. What happened?” Corrin asked, worried now. 

He wished he could tell them the whole story, but Corrin, like Elise, was in the dark about the corruption surrounding them. “We still don't know exactly what happened, but he disappeared under mysterious circumstances a few weeks ago.” Leo answered. 

“Does that mean he's dead?” 

“No. They haven't found a body.” 

“But he could be?” Corrin pressed. 

“Corrin, darling,” said Camilla, coming to embrace them. “Xander loves you, and I'm sure he'll find a way to return to you.” 

“Yeah, and Leo told me he’ll be OK, and Leo’s always right!” Elise agreed. 

“Ha, you admit it,” Leo teased. 

A dramaticized look of horror spread across her face. “No! I take it back! Leo is always wrong!” She stuck her tongue out at him, but her eyes shined the way they did when she smiled, delighted just to be interacting. 

So was Leo. 

 

Leo actually had been fairly busy lately reviewing his swordsmanship in preparation for practice duels with his sibling. It was a skill he hadn't given as much exercise since deciding to focus on magic, but if he wanted to be of any use to Corrin, he’d have to at least pose a challenge. Though Leo got the feeling they weren't keeping score, he certainly was. By the time they were finished, Leo was three to seven with Corrin, while Camilla was six to three with them. Leo was determined to do better than that in the future. 

 

That evening, Elise approached Leo, holding before her the tale of the fairy princess Lily. “Please?” she begged. 

“Alright,” he agreed immediately. 

“Yay!” 

With that, he was dragged by his skipping little sister to the room she was sharing with Camilla--not because they had to, but because they could. 

Corrin had also been captured. 

“I got him!” Elise announced. She nestled into bed, and Camilla tucked her in. Then Elise looked at Leo expectantly. 

He took a seat with Corrin on the other bed, then opened to the bookmark--

“Wait! We should start at the beginning for Corrin!” Elise realized. 

“Oh, no, it's alright,” they said. 

“But you won't know what's going on, and we’ll spoil it for you!” 

“I don't mind restarting,” said Camilla. 

“Alright then,” Leo agreed, flipping back to chapter one. He didn't mind either, so long as he was here with his siblings. 

Corrin’s siblings successfully ensnared them into the story. They even asked, at one point, for a turn reading, and proved to be good at acting the parts with their voice. Leo had to step up his game, all in good fun. Not even Leo had it in him to get too competitive over a fairytale with Elise as their audience. 

“One more chapter!” Elise pleaded. 

“It’s time for you to go to sleep, my little fairy princess,” said Camilla. 

“Aww,” she whined. Then she got an idea. “Hey, Corrin, you should stay with us! We can have a sleepover! There’s plenty of room. Oh, and Leo too!” 

“Sure, why not?” Corrin agreed. 

“No thanks,” Leo passed. 

Elise briefly made a pouty face at his answer, but didn’t dwell on it as she pulled Corrin into bed beside her. 

“Whoa, alright Elise, it’s time for you to calm down a little,” they said. 

“But I get to see my big sibling that I missed so much. How can I possibly calm down?” 

“Maybe you need a lullaby,” Camilla suggested. 

“Yes, yes!” Elise agreed. 

 

 

The first thing Leo noticed as he awoke was that he wasn’t in the room he was supposed to be in. Camila, Corrin, and Elise were clumped together in the other bed. The last thing he remembered was Camilla’s soothing, motherly voice. He cringed, realizing he must have drifted off, and she must have been the one who’d draped a blanket over him. 

Leo tried to sneak out of the room so that he could pretend this never happened, but heard three giggles behind him before he could escape. 

“Stop it,” he ordered. 

It only made them giggle harder. Corrin and Camilla managed to say, “I can't,” and, “But you're so cute,” through stifled mirth. 

Silence fell behind him after the door slammed. 

 

“Leo?” Camilla said, gently, yet she still managed to startle her brother out of his book.

He’d been in the library ignoring humanity for the last couple hours, and didn’t appreciate being interrupted. “Leave me alone.”

“I came to say that we’re sorry we upset you earlier. We didn’t mean to.” 

Appreciating her good intentions, Leo replied more politely this time. “I accept the apology, but I still want to be alone right now.”  
“Are you going to brood here all day then?” she asked, suddenly more aggressive. 

“No. I’ll at least be there to spar with Corrin.” 

“That’s it?”

“I said I accepted your apology. What else do you want from me?” 

“I want you to stop being a little jerk and talk to me!” she yelled. 

“You can’t make me do anything!” Leo shot back. 

“Fine. I hope you’re happy knowing Elise will cry,” Camilla glared before turning and leaving. 

 

“Are you two OK?” Corrin asked after four far too easy victories. 

“Yes,” said Camilla and Leo in unison, a bit too emphatically. 

Corrin wasn’t convinced. “Is this still about this morning?” 

Knowing it was probably pointless to deny it, Leo instead said, “It’s nothing.” 

“Why don’t we all take a little break?” they suggested. “We’re not getting anywhere like this. Here, I’ll put the practice swords away.” 

“You’re not just trying to get out of training, are you?” Leo asked, hesitating to hand his over.

“You’re not just trying to get out of dealing with your feelings, are you?” Corrin retorted. 

Huffing indignantly in defeat, Leo surrendered the weapon. 

“So…” Corrin began once that was done, “Are you still mad at us?” 

“It has nothing to do with _you_.” It was clear he meant ‘you’ in the singular sense. 

They looked back and forth between Leo and Camilla, realizing where the problem was. “What happened?”

The two stammered, not sure where to begin explaining it to Corrin if they even wanted to. 

“Would it be better if I gave you a minute alone?” they suggested. 

“Yes,” said Camilla. 

Leo nodded in agreement. 

“Alright. I wonder if there are cookies in the kitchen? I’ll go see. I’ll bet Elise would like one too…” 

Awkward silence fell as Corrin’s footsteps faded. 

“Maybe I should start by saying that, in Krakenburg, I wasn’t avoiding you and Elise because I wanted to; I was told to,” Leo explained. After thinking about it, he’d realized he hadn’t gotten a chance to tell her this yet, and that might have been why she’d suddenly turned angry.

“Oh!” Camilla’s eyes immediately filled with sympathy. “How terrible! I feel so silly now for being resentful. I’m sorry.” 

“I’m sorry for my part in it too,” Leo replied. 

“There’s still one thing I don’t understand, though. What was it about this morning that upset you so much?” she asked. 

“Uh…” That was a good question. He’d received worse teasing before without reacting quite so strongly. What had it been about this time? “I don’t know,” he admitted. 

“Does it have something to do with your mother?”

“What makes you think that?” 

“Well, I don’t know if you noticed, but you were shaking a little, and you said, ‘you can’t make me do anything’, and I thought maybe that wasn’t really meant for me.” 

“You’re right, that wasn’t meant for you,” Leo realized. “I guess I just don't like having my guard down around other people, and being asleep… well...” 

“I could have hurt you,” Camilla finished for him. 

_That girl is not to be trusted._

Leo didn't want that voice in his head, but it was there, just a little. 

“I'm sorry. I told you I trusted you.” 

“I think you do trust me, more than you've trusted anyone since…” Camilla decided not to say the name, but Leo could tell who she was thinking of, “...for a while, but you don't trust me completely yet, and that's OK. I understand. After all, I jumped to the conclusion that you were trying to hurt me. We’ll get better at this. We have the perfect excuse now to spend a lot of time here, where we can do what we want, right?” 

“Right.” 

“Come here.” Camilla opened her arms, and Leo, if a bit flustered, accepted the invitation.

Corrin, having returned with a bowl of cookies, gasped. “Leo, you’re hugging now? Can I hug you?” 

“Alright,” he agreed. 

They set the bowl down and practically dashed. 

“Not hard!” Leo added.


	8. Justice

Xander was left with little choice but to let his sister take care of him with stolen food and water, and she somehow also got ahold of a few herbs. He caught himself starting to get used to it as she’d said he would. No, he refused. This was an unusual circumstance. It was not something he could allow himself to get comfortable with. 

Due to Xander’s limited mobility, they stayed underground for a while. There were pros and cons to the underground Windmire versus the surface Windmire. The guards did not have patrol routes here, which would theoretically make stealing easier, and there were more potential targets; however, the passersby were rarely higher than middle class, and vigilantes kept a lookout. The volunteer peacekeepers lacked organization, which could make them better or worse. Some followed Norhian law to the best of their ability, while others followed their own system of morality, which could be merciful--or not. 

They overheard gossip, every now and then, about the missing prince. The knowledge spread that the king had other children, born of affairs, who hadn't been given titles or much publicity. Surely then, if Prince Xander was never found, at least one of them would be named a prince or princess, people said. Xander and Bane listened for any news about Camilla. 

Left with too much time to reflect and wonder, a burning question for Bane lingered in Xander’s thoughts until he asked it in a moment where his lungs allowed it. “If I had accepted your deal when we first met, would you have really done it? Could you have betrayed Leo?” 

“Maybe,” she admitted after some thought. “ I wanted to see what you'd say. I couldn't be sure you were still the same brother I'd known, with the way things are, or if you'd changed, like the king. If you had agreed, I think that might have been it for me. If I lost all hope in my family, I could have become as emotionless as I pretended to be, but you refused. You were so determined. I wanted to believe in you. It wasn’t a mistake.” 

Xander wasn’t so sure, but he hoped she was right.

One afternoon, Bane was gone longer than usual. Xander began to worry if she’d been caught or attacked. Just as he was wondering if he should go looking for her despite his condition, she returned. 

“Are you alright?” he asked. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry I took a while. I got a little bit sidetracked,” she said, almost… bashfully. 

“By what?” 

“I rescued this boy from one of the crazier vigilantes--only because you couldn’t do it.” 

“How romantic.” 

“Shut up.” 

 

Just as Xander was almost fully recovered from the illness, his sister came down with it. It was having someone depending on him and owing her the favor that pushed him to attempt what he never thought he'd do. 

He spotted a vendor distracted by a chatty customer--the sort of opportunity he knew Bane would recommend taking advantage of. He took a deep breath. He couldn't look nervous. He'd seen her do this several times. 

He was so close, the item almost hidden in his pocket when he heard a cry of, “hey!” and narrowly dodged a grab, then sprinted in a rush of panic. 

Xander forced himself to calm down again once he'd made some distance. The vender couldn't chase him without risking losing more stock while his back was turned, so it was better to blend in and avoid catching anyone else’s attention. 

He spotted someone else coming, but this time he wasn't quite quick enough. A strong grip held on through his struggles to break free. 

“I suggest you cease resisting,” said his captor. 

Xander noticed, as he resigned, that he was looking at a boy no older than he was. Still, he carried an axe, and by the look of his arms, he probably knew how to use it. 

“Now, if you'll kindly hand over what you took, I'll let you go this time,” he said. 

Xander complied, head down in guilt. “I'm sorry.” 

“You really are. That was your first attempt, wasn’t it?” the young vigilante observed. 

“Yes.” 

“Sometimes misfortune befalls those who don't deserve it,” he sympathized. “How about you come with me, and I'll get you something for lunch?” 

“Um… I can't. My sister is waiting for me. She's sick,” Xander explained. 

“I see. Then bring her too.” 

“You're serious?” 

“Completely.” 

“How do I know I can trust you?” Xander was surprised at himself for a moment, noticing how wary he had become. 

“You'll just have to trust me when I say that I became a vigilante because I wanted to help people.” 

He looked sincere enough. “Alright.” He decided he'd see how Bane felt about it. 

The boy let go of Xander and extended a hand. “The name’s Arthur.” 

“Goldie--at least, that's what my sister calls me.” 

“I've heard stranger names from orphans.” 

Arthur returned the stolen good, and then Xander located Bane. 

When she saw Arthur with him, her eyes narrowed as she gripped the hilt of a dagger. “Who’re you?” 

“My name is Arthur, and I am a vigilante. I have no intention to harm you. I caught your brother trying to steal food for you, and I’m inviting you both over for lunch.” 

“Why?” she asked, incredulous. 

“Because letting children without homes suffer is not justice,” he answered. 

Bane looked back and forth between the two boys. “You found another Goldilocks,” she concluded, a chuckle turning into a fit of coughs. 

“You accept my offer then?” Arthur asked when she was finished. 

“How far?” 

“My house is above ground, but near one of the entrances. I can carry you if you need.” 

“No, let me. I’ve already had the illness,” said Xander. 

“Yeah, sure,” Bane agreed. 

 

Xander and Bane were full, warm, and altogether amazingly comfortable. Bane especially was starting to look healthier, letting the blanket she’d been wrapped in fall aside as she sipped tea.

“I can’t help but notice that you two don’t look very alike,” said Arthur. 

“Well, we’re technically half siblings,” Xander explained. 

“That makes sense. You almost look like Prince Xander, though.”

“Oh, um--”

“Yeah, he gets that a lot,” Bane laughed. 

It seemed to work. 

_“Posture,”_ she mouthed at Xander when Arthur wasn't looking. According to her, sitting up too straight made him more recognizable. 

 

As if Arthur’s kindness wasn’t already unbelievable enough, he gave them a couple jars of food to take with them. 

“Won’t your mother and father notice these are gone?” Xander asked. 

“Oh, they won’t mind. They believe in helping people too, and they’re proud of what I do.” 

“Really?” 

“Of course. Take them.” 

Why did it sound so strange to him to not be terrified of one’s parents, and to not have to go behind them just to follow one’s conscience? 

“Thank you.” Bane was the one who said it, without any of her usual defensiveness. 

“I will not forget you, Arthur,” promised Xander. 

 

As Bane’s health improved, the choice Xander knew he needed to make haunted the back of his mind. Arthur had given him a temporary relief from guilt, but when that ran out, how long could he honestly survive this? 

Yet, the thought of returning to his father was petrifying. He hadn't told Bane everything, and he tried to forget about it, but the memory crept into his sleep. Half of the bruises he'd collected weren't acquired from the battle itself, but from punishment for inadequate performance. In an ordinary family, he would consider it despicable, but in his circumstances, with his responsibilities as prince, with the death of his retainers hanging over him, maybe he deserved it. 

Then he and his sister overheard a bit of gossip that made up his mind for him. The king had had two of his lovers executed, and somehow, word about it had leaked through the cities. 

The two exchanged looks of shock at the sudden action, then worry that something might happen to Camilla, Leo, or Elise as well, and then agreement on where they were heading.


	9. Tie Breaker

One morning at breakfast, a letter was brought to Camilla from King Garon. 

“Oh!” she gasped while reading. 

“What is it?” Corrin and Elise wanted to know. 

“Please excuse me and Leo for a moment,” she said, regaining composure, but gesturing her brother urgently. 

The Northern Fortress had quite a few empty rooms, one of which she lead them into, yet still double checked behind them before speaking. “Our mothers are dead,” she began. “Executed for treasonous activities.” 

“About time,” said Leo, feeling nothing but relief at this revelation. 

“But he wants us to come back to Castle Krakenburg. He says there are matters he needs to discuss with us in person, but he doesn't say what. Do you think… he would…?” Camilla hesitated to say it out loud. 

“Kill us too?” he finished. 

She nodded. 

Leo would have liked to assure her that father wouldn’t do such a thing, but he honestly couldn’t convince himself of that anymore, so instead, he answered with logic. “If he wanted to, I think he would have simply sent someone for us at the same time without saying anything.” 

“I guess that makes sense, but I’m still scared. Do you think he knows what we’ve done--or pretended to do?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“We could run away,” she thought. “We're close to the border, and we have a wyvern.” 

“Maybe we could pull it off, but that would without a doubt make us look suspicious. If we were caught…” Leo didn't need to finish. “Maybe he wants to figure out who ‘killed’ Xander, but if I have to, I’ll confess to protect you, I promise.” Leo managed to keep his voice steady at the idea, but Camilla didn’t miss the way his hands slipped behind his back. 

“Leo.” She grabbed his wrists, but then didn’t know what else to say. 

“We should go back.” 

She nodded. 

“What is it?” Corrin and Elise still wanted to know. 

“Father needs to discuss some matters with us in person, which means we’ll sadly have to leave for a while,” Camilla answered, as though she was perfectly fine apart from being mildly disappointed. 

“Aww!” they cried. 

“But he didn’t say anything about Elise, so I guess she can stay here with you, Corrin, if she wants to.” 

“Yeah, I’ll keep you company!” Elise agreed instantly. 

“Can we keep the book?” Corrin asked. 

 

Before they left, Leo convinced Flora and Felicia, with a lot of explaining, to do a favor for him. There was no way he could find Xander to get the news to him that his mother wasn't a problem anymore, but maybe he could pass it to him indirectly. That afternoon, the sisters went out under the excuse of an errand and gossiped conspicuously about how the king had had his lovers put to death. Leo could only hope the word would catch fire and spread. 

Strange, that they were political prisoners from the Ice Tribe, kept here to prevent rebellion, yet Leo trusted them more than any maids in Krakenburg, enough to let them in on his secret for Xander’s sake. Maybe it was because he felt that Flora and Felicia weren’t so different from him. He often felt like a hostage too. 

 

Leo wasn’t surprised when he and Camilla were summoned to discussions--usually separately--and it always seemed that there were maids, guards, or Iago watching them. He figured, at first, that they were being interrogated, but then realized that wasn’t quite it. The king’s questions went too long without one blunt or subtle inquiry about Leo’s whereabouts in the timeframe. On the contrary, his father seemed suddenly more interested in his current and future endeavors. While he still wasn’t as warm as he’d once been, Leo was flattered just to have this much of his attention, enough so to ignore his vexing confusion about the motive and purpose behind it all. 

 

Leo guessed that he was about to face some kind of test when he was summoned to the barracks. He was prepared, or so he thought. 

What he didn’t expect was for Camilla to be there too. 

Besides them, the room was empty except for their father, Camilla’s wyvern, a shelf of tomes on one side, a rack of axes on another, and a group of guards in front of every exit. 

Leo could deduce what this meant. The meetings with their father hadn’t been interrogations, and they hadn’t been parenting either; they’d been interviews, and this was the tie breaker. 

A rush of anger flooded Leo’s veins, at his father for deceiving him like this, and at himself for being deceived. He’d almost seen it coming--could have if he’d just listened for a moment to the voice of doubt in his head, but then, he thought, would it have even mattered if he had predicted this? Could he have done anything about it? Just when he’d thought he was free from being controlled, here he was again, but even more furious, because this was the parent that, long ago, he’d once prefered, once trusted, once loved, once thought he was liked by in return. He was so sick of being powerless that he could barely contain his rage for the sake of self preservation. 

“Father,” Camilla said, anxiously. “These are real axes.” 

She was still in denial. 

“Yes, indeed. It is a real battle, my child,” the king answered. 

“I don’t understand.” 

“This war over inheritance has gone on long enough. You both show potential, so I am leaving it up to a battle to decide who will take the crown, and who will be executed to ensure there will be no more complications. You have five minutes to prepare.” 

“Father, I would never want to hurt Leo!” Camilla protested. “I love him! There will never be complications between us! Please don’t do this!” 

“You’re wasting your time,” said Garon, unmoved. 

“Xander isn't dead!” she blurted as a last resort. 

“Ha, how would you know that?”

“Leo faked his death and let him get away!” 

“Have you any proof that this isn’t a lie?

Camilla desperately looked at Leo for any idea how to get out of this. 

“I’m sorry, Camilla,” he replied to her silent request, causing her to gasp at the jarring mix of compassion and misdirected hatred in his voice. 

So Camilla came up with an idea of her own. She picked an axe and held it before her as she turned toward the king again. “Father, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I would sooner turn my weapon against myself than my brother.” 

King Garon looked for a moment like he wasn’t sure whether or not he believed her. Camilla’s gaze shied away from his, but she refused to lower her axe. She and Leo both held their breath while awaiting his response. “If you wish to save us time, go ahead.” 

“Wait, Camilla!” Leo shouted before she could follow. He already had a fire tome with him. He always did. Maybe she did it on purpose, or maybe not, but his sister had given him one way he could seize some control over the situation. It was risky, but he decided in a split second that it was worth it. Anything was better than being a pawn, even if it meant using himself as leverage. “Father, you have to take both of us, or neither.” 

King Garon actually laughed. “I don’t believe this. It’s so unlike both of you. Camilla, you’re usually such a fierce fighter, and Leo, you’re usually willing to do whatever it takes to prove your worth.” 

“Not this,” Leo replied. 

“One of you is going to turn on the other eventually.” 

A tense silence fell.

“Your majesty?” a maid appeared in one of the doorways.

“This better be important.”

“Yes, sir. There is a young man at the gates claiming to be Prince Xander, and the guards say he looks convincing.” 

“The two of you are not to leave this room,” he ordered before exiting. 

Relief washed over Leo and Camilla as together they dropped their weapons. Next thing Leo knew, Camilla was wrapping her arms around him. 

“We could take them,” she whispered, referring to the guards. 

“And then more would come.” 

“And we’d fly away.” 

“And go where?”

“I don’t know,” she cried. 

“Camilla, it’s going to be alright. Xander won’t let anything happen to us, and father will be calmer now that he’s back.” 

“Yes, you’re probably right. I guess I’m overreacting.” 

“I don’t blame you.” 

Leo tried to remain calm, but now that nothing was happening, he had far too much time and far too much space to fret about anything that might possibly go wrong. What if it wasn’t really Xander, but an illusionist imposter who would surely be caught by Iago? What if it was Xander, but his return wasn’t enough to pacify their father, and then what if Xander couldn’t defend them?

Leo glanced. He paced. He tore into his wrists so hard he felt blood under his nails. Then his shaking legs betrayed him.

The sound of her brother collapsing shook Camilla out of her own head. She knelt beside him and gently scooped him up into her arms. 

“I-I’m not w-weak,” Leo protested through unsteady, panicked breath. 

“I don’t think you’re weak. I think you’re amazing.” 

“T-then why…?”

“Because I love you.” 

At a loss for words, Leo let Camilla lay his head on her chest. She began to sing softly. His fingers found strands of her hair and twirled. 

“Ow!” she gasped suddenly, and Leo realized he’d pulled. 

“Sorry.” 

“It’s OK. Here.” She took a handful of hair, started a braid, and then handed it to Leo. 

She kept humming, and Leo kept braiding, and slowly, his heartbeat’s agonizing pace subsided.

After what was probably a shorter time than it felt like, another maid entered to deliver the message that everyone in the room was permitted to leave. 

The guards exited in an orderly fashion, and Camilla sighed in relief, assuring Leo that everything was going to be fine, but Leo didn’t believe her. For now, perhaps, they would all be fine, but he knew he still wasn’t safe here.


	10. Cassius

“Who are _you_?” was the first thing King Garon said, with a disdainful look at his daughter, as he arrived with Iago.

“ _Cassius_ , father,” Xander replied, while his sister was busy looking stunned and indignant.

The king glared at them in suspicion. “Cassius is dead.” 

“My death was fake, your majesty,” she explained. 

“ _Your majesty?”_ Garon repeated. 

“Sorry, father, it's been a while.” 

“Indeed. You are difficult to recognize with that disgraceful posture.” 

Bane straightened her stance. 

“Well, go on, Iago.” 

A minute of silence passed while Garon’s lackey scanned them for any illusions. “I detect no magic, your majesty,” he reported. 

“Very well. You two, escort Cassius to a spare room,” he ordered a pair of guards. 

Xander recognized those two. He didn't know their names, but he knew they were among the guards who knew his father’s code, who carried out orders that were different than what they appeared to be. 

“What are you doing!?” he demanded of his father in a moment of panic. 

“I’m simply getting her situated. Calm yourself down,” Garon ordered. 

“I know that's not true,” Xander persisted. 

Bane suddenly bolted away from the guards, and though many attempted, they had no hope of catching up to her. Luckily for her, there weren't any cavaliers near the gates. 

Iago, however, had the range to catch her if he was quick. He opened his tome, and Xander, thoughtless in desperation to protect his sister, lunged for the sorcerer, only to be caught by his father. 

It was only the grip of one hand. He could have escaped… if his first instinct were not to freeze, braced for an impact. He wasn't surprised to hit the ground a second later. 

By the time Xander picked his head up, Bane had already been knocked over by a spell, and the two guards he'd noticed earlier were almost upon her. It was too late. 

“Why?” Xander asked as he stood, unable to do anything else at this point. “She hasn't done anything.” 

“Not yet, but we cannot trust her. She has been away from us for too long, and gotten too used to it. Her loyalty could have been swayed by rebellious influences.” 

“Father--!” He was going to explain how Bane had defended him from the other thief, how she'd looked after him while he was sick, how she'd surely proven her loyalty to her family, but flinched at the threat of a raised hand. 

“You're lucky I'm not executing you too, with this display of disrespect! Instead, you will be the one to kill her.” 

“What?!” Xander gasped. “No, please, father, I can't!” He saw the guards pass, dragging Bane, her struggling futile in half-consciousness, probably to the dungeon. He decided, then, that he wasn't going to beg; he was going to insist. “I will not.” His gaze and voice faltered, but he pushed his statement through his shaking breath. “It d-doesn’t matter… what you do to me.” 

“I'm sure there's a way I could persuade you if you really want to test me,” his father threatened.

“I have an idea, milord,” Iago offered with a smirk.

“Go ahead.”

“Let one of the other children take the punishment for Xander’s disobedience.” 

“You wouldn't!” Xander pleaded, horrified. Before now, his father hadn’t threatened any of the other siblings, and he hadn’t expected him to. The high expectations of being crown prince were his alone to bear. 

“I would,” Garon replied. “Camilla and Leo already deserve it for their defiance, but if you step back into line, right now, I'll let it slide this time.” 

Xander was forced to accept that if he didn’t follow the order, someone else would kill Bane instead, and he wasn’t willing to risk testing the threat of his siblings in pain. “I will do as you say,” he surrendered, swallowing down anger at the injustice. “Just don't hurt them--ever.” 

“So long as you continue to follow my orders,” Garon agreed, “But, that means I'm leaving it up to you to ensure that your half-siblings behave. Camilla’s ferocity, Corrin’s true heritage, Leo’s cunning, even Elise’s persuasive eyes--they could be a danger to the kingdom if they turned their talents against me. If it becomes necessary for me to take matters into my own hands, I will. Understood?” 

“Yes, father,” Xander answered mechanically. 

“Iago, go with Xander to make sure all goes as it's supposed to,” the king ordered. 

“Of course, your majesty. Come along now, Prince Xander,” the tactician ushered. 

Xander’s heart yearned for a moment alone, to scream in fury, to cry in grief, to smash something in regret, perhaps to awaken from the nightmare, but he had no choice but to follow Iago down to the bleak corridors, suppressing the urge to strangle him. 

Though Bane had been slumped on the floor, she picked her head up when she heard a guard open the door. She seemed to already be a little more conscious. “Xander?” 

“I'm so sorry I brought you here,” he apologized, barely holding back a sob. 

“You didn't know this would happen,” she replied, pulling herself up on her knees. “This isn't _your_ fault.” She glared at Iago. 

“But If I'd just been a little faster, you could have escaped.” 

“Xander… I know that look you had, when I saw you and the king. I understand.” Bane gave him a weak, bittersweet smile. “I love you." 

“Don't say that. I'm here to kill you.” 

She gasped, then stared at Iago with even more hatred. “Tell King Garon he is not my father.” 

“I'm sure your teenage spite will crush his heart,” he mocked. 

With a little effort, Bane stood to face Xander. “Do what you have to. I won't make it more difficult than it has to be.” 

Instead of drawing his sword, Xander embraced her, his tears escaping. 

“No, Xander, you'll make this harder,” she protested, but he couldn't help it. It was his last chance. Then she gave in too, and feeling him cry made her cry. 

“I love you too, Bane,” Xander managed. 

“Cassius,” she corrected. 

“Cassius,” Xander agreed, the name sounding--feeling--beautifully familiar. The Cassius he'd known was here in front of him again, almost as though she'd never changed. 

““Tell the others I love them too.” 

“I will.” 

“I wonder who would scream louder--Camilla or Leo,” taunted Iago. “Best get on with it if you don't want to find out.” 

It took every ounce of Xander’s self control not to whip around and punch him. 

“Let's get this over with,” said Cassius, taking a step back. 

“How can you forgive me for this?” Xander asked. 

“The same way you could forgive me. You're just… caught in the middle of a conflict that isn't your fault.” 

Maybe she could forgive him, but he still couldn’t.

With an unsteady hand, Xander drew his sword. Cassius tried to remain strong and stoic for him, but her eyes betrayed a quite natural fear of death. Nonetheless, she didn't shrink an inch away from him. 

Xander closed his eyes, realizing he couldn't do this with them open. He set his left hand on Cassius’s shoulder, partly as a blind point of reference, partly because he felt as though the weight of his task might topple him. Yet still he hesitated. 

“Do it, before I move!” she half-ordered, half-begged. 

“Do you need more persuasion, Prince Xander?” Iago asked. 

“No!” His blade thrust forward, meeting the resistance of flesh. Then the weight that lifelessly fell forward almost knocked him over. Xander sheathed his sword, avoiding the sight of the blood surely on it, before opening his eyes and absorbing the sickening reality of his sister dead on the floor. He fell to his knees beside her. “You've done your job. Now leave me alone!” he roared at Iago. 

The sorcerer left him there to fall apart in peace. 

This wasn’t the last time his hand would be forced to act against his heart, Xander knew. Iago had found his weak point, and for what remained of his father’s life, he wasn’t going to stop taking advantage of it. _“That’s what happens when you care about something,”_ he could almost hear Cassius saying.


	11. Promise

Camilla practically dragged Xander to her room--which was a different room than it had been before he'd left--where Leo was waiting as well. Xander felt guilty for having barely given them a glance over the last week, but even though he'd missed them, he could barely summon the energy to eat and drink and give Elise half the attention and euphemised explanations she demanded, let alone approach a complicated overdue conversation, or even pick up a weapon. He’d tried a few times. Normally, he could channel his frustration into training, but this time, it reminded him of the sister who’d been his sparring partner for the last month. Their time had been far too short.

Camilla sat him down and took the seat beside him, putting the three siblings in a small circle of compelled intimacy.

“You moved,” Xander noted aloud, awkward under his sister’s concerned stare and his brother’s bitter one. Looking around, it was certainly an upgrade of quarters. 

“It seems you’re the last to know,” Leo scowled. 

“I’m a princess now,” Camilla explained. “As is Elise, and Corrin and Leo are princes.” 

“I see. I apologize for not paying more attention.” 

“What's going on, Xander?” Camilla asked. 

This would be the time to tell them everything, from the moment he'd found Cassius to her final words, but Xander found he just wasn't ready to tell the whole story yet, so he told a small part of it. “While I was pretending to be dead, I hid in Windmire’s slums, and… it was a shock. I didn’t realize just how badly the people of Nohr need help. I’d rather not go into detail, at least not at this moment.” 

“Oh,” was the only word Camilla could find. 

“I’m sorry,” said Leo.

“No, don’t apologize. You did the best thing you could have done, and there were things I needed to see from that perspective,” Xander replied. 

“No, not that--for assuming the worst of you.” 

“It’s alright, Leo. I understand how it might have looked, returning after a month of absence and not saying a word to you. _I_ should be asking for _your_ forgiveness.”

“You have it.” 

Looking between them, Xander had a sense that Camilla and Leo had grown up a step while his back had been turned. He was both glad to notice it and melancholy that he’d missed the process. Then again, he recalled that they’d done something to displease their father, which was generally not a wise move. “So then, what did you two do?” 

“What are you talking about?” asked Camilla. 

“All I know is that father said you were defiant.” 

“Oh.” They exchanged grimaces in a silent argument over who should explain. Camilla gave in. 

“Father didn’t know who he wanted to take your place, so he decided to have us battle, and… uh…” 

Leo huffed and took over, “To the death. We both threatened suicide.” 

A twelve and fourteen year old in a death battle? Then again, Garon had basically threatened to torture them, so it shouldn’t have been surprising. Yet here they both were, still breathing. “And then?” 

“And then you came back.” 

“Thank the Gods I wasn’t a moment later.” What would have happened if he was, Xander didn’t want to know. 

“Actually, thank Flora and Felicia. They spread the gossip for me.” 

“Clever. I'll be sure to do that next time I visit the fortress.” 

“Which should be soon!” Camilla exclaimed. “Corrin misses you.” 

“You're right. Corrin must've been lonely all this time.” 

“Well, not all alone--we visited and helped them train. Elise was there too, but I'm sure they'd still be very happy to see you.” 

“It's good to hear they had some company. Thank you for doing that.” 

“It was no problem. We had a lovely time together.” She smiled at the memories, and Leo couldn't help but mirror it when she glanced at him. Once again, Xander felt a bit left out. “Maybe we could head to the Northern Fortress tomorrow--all four of us, together,” Camilla suggested. “That is, if you’re up for it. I can still help with Corrin’s training, or anything else you need me to do.” 

“I’ll help too,” Leo offered. 

While Xander didn’t like letting others carry his burdens, the truth was, he really needed it this time, and maybe letting Camilla and Leo do that would be better than leaving Corrin alone while he struggled unsuccessfully to put himself back together on his own. If Xander were to be honest, perhaps he felt lonely too, even though his recent isolation was his own doing, and maybe he also wanted a little physical distance from his father. “Alright. Thank you,” he agreed. 

“Wonderful!” Camilla cheered as she stood. “I’ll go tell Elise. She’ll be so excited.” 

Xander and Leo stood to leave as well, but before they did, Camilla turned and embraced her older brother. “It’s good to have you back,” she said. 

Xander became suddenly very aware of how much he’d missed her hugs, especially her genuine ones, without a stage smile and a model pose. 

They both noticed, in the corners of their vision, Leo taking a step forward, then hesitating. Xander didn’t know what it meant, but Camilla seemed to. She reached out one hand. “Come on. You can do it,” she encouraged. 

“Leo doesn’t hug,” said Xander. 

“We’ve been working on that.” 

Leo took his sister’s hand and, one little step at a time, let her guide him forward.

Xander could scarcely believe it. Something truly significant must have happened. It had been so long since he’d seen either of them this open and trusting, with each other or with him. It warmed his heart, and then, after days that felt like eternities of feeling hardly anything more than guilt and emptiness, tears flowed down his cheeks. 

“Then again, maybe we could stay here for another minute,” Camilla decided. 

Somewhere in Camilla and Leo’s arms that day, Xander found the strength to keep going, for his siblings, and for his promise to Cassius to make Nohr a better place for everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have songs for this one too:   
> A Real Family (Not a Half Family): http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKQKBIKAtshOxJiImfoTt5bJR8q0JFK11


End file.
